HF 2078 Minnesota House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Child care provider licensing provisions modified related to parent access, furnishings, equipment, and materials.

HF 2078 modifies Minnesota's child care licensing rules to expand exemptions for certain providers. It adds two new exemptions: (1) nonpublic schools operating child care for children 33 months+ that meet specific accreditation standards (including background checks and complaint investigations), and (2) nonprofit youth programs serving K-12 students that provide written parental consent, disclose they are unlicensed, and confirm they won’t accept state child care assistance. These changes directly affect nonpublic schools and community youth programs seeking to operate without full state licensing. The bill requires these exempt programs to meet documentation and disclosure requirements instead of standard licensing.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 10, 2025 Last action Mar 17, 2025

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What changed between versions

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 5 edits · Mar 17, 2025

MODERATE

This bill updates Minnesota's child care licensing laws by adding new statutes that mandate specific safety standards, equipment, and materials for child care centers. The changes replace broad exemptions for certain programs with detailed requirements for furnishings, equipment, and supplies based on the age of the children served (infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children). This matters because it ensures all licensed centers maintain consistent, age-appropriate environments that prioritize child safety and developmental needs.

Scope change

The bill narrows the scope of exemptions from licensure, removing exceptions for various programs (such as some religious, scouting, and nonprofit programs) that were previously excluded from strict licensing rules. It also expands the scope by introducing new statutory sections that define specific requirements for child care centers.

REQUIREMENT

Added new definitions for specific types of equipment and materials, such as cognitive development equipment, construction materials, dramatic play equipment, gross motor equipment, manipulative equipment, and sensory stimulation materials.

Established a new requirement that parents or guardians must have access to their children at any time unless restricted by a court order or legal documentation.

Introduced detailed, age-specific requirements for furniture, equipment, and supplies for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children, including specific quantities of items like cribs, chairs, books, and toys.

Replaced the previous general list of excluded programs with a new structure that outlines specific minimum standards for equipment and materials based on the age group of the children served.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed exemptions for numerous programs (including some religious, scouting, and nonprofit youth programs) that were previously not required to be licensed under the child care chapter.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt as amended

lower

Mar 10, 2025

Introduced

Introduction and first reading, referred to Children and Families Finance and Policy

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors